


the grace in your eyes

by teddyandgriffin



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, Fake Dating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 07:45:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17219819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teddyandgriffin/pseuds/teddyandgriffin
Summary: adora lit up, “you!!” then she was on her feet and pulling glimmer onto her feet and they were holding hands and jumping, “you're the perfect fake girlfriend!!”“thank you!” glimmer grinned back at her, she was so stupid. this was going to fail and bow was going to make fun of her.-or: when bow leaves adora and glimmer alone they become fake girlfriends





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cumulativeChaos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cumulativeChaos/gifts).



> this is for @cumulativechaos on tumblr for the wlw secret santa being run by @femslashgang!! they asked for modern au/high school au and fake dating and i managed this disaster !!

“that catra wouldn’t really move on that fast, i mean we were best friends forever and then girlfriends for three years you don’t just get two new girlfriends the next day but then again what if she really did move on that fast i did transfer schools and move out of the foster system with like one day notice but that really wasn’t my fault and i tried to text her but i heard she broke her phone and no one from my old school lets me within ten feet of the place and i just-” 

glimmer kicked at adora. this was probably the third time she’d gone through the spiel and it wasn’t making her feel any better, besides this was supposed to be a “welcome to the school” sleepover, not a “my ex girlfriend is dating two people she just met to spite me” sleepover. they were both sprawled on glimmer’s bedroom carpet, it was fluffier than her bed and adora had collapsed onto it as soon as she saw it and refused to move. 

the clock ticked, it had been over an hour and the rest of her friends still weren’t here. none of them were subtle, “adora, sweetheart, that really sucks but i think we need to look for everyone else right now. then you can get perfuma and mermista’s opinions.”

adora nodded and pushed herself up from the fluffy mass of glimmer’s carpet. glimmer’s brain forgot how to breathe for a quick second when she noticed adora’s pajama shorts had rode up. “okay, they called a while ago to say they were going to be late but i thought perfuma was only a few streets away?”

she offered glimmer a hand and helped her up onto her feet. “yeah,” glimmer said with her brightest, fakest smile on her face. “perfuma lives a five minute walk from here and mermista is only two subway stops away.” she walked over to her dresser where their phones were charging and tosses adora’s back to her. adora awkwardly winked at her phone as the face recognition unlocked it and glimmer tried not to sigh the holy shit she’s adorable sigh. 

adora scrolled through her phone for a few seconds before laughing and shoving it into her sports bra, “perfuma and mermista are apparently too busy taking advantage of mermista’s empty house to come over.” 

“i hate them,” glimmer told adora. 

adora laughed at her, her beautiful twinkly laugh, and leaned over to grab at glimmers wrist and tug her over. glimmer’s breath caught again, adora was really pushing platonic bonds right now with them being. zero inches apart. and adora’s arms wrapped around her. glimmer flopped onto the floor to try and get air into her lungs, “i guess it’s just us then.”

.

the two of them ended up squashed on the couch binging the dragon prince. bow was texting them as he watched at his place, he wasn’t allowed to sleep over anymore after the frosting incident when bow and her with thirteen. “okay,” glimmer said as rayla leaped from tree to tree. “is it just me or are girls with swords super hot.”

adora coughed, “uh. i fence so i mean. i try not to develop kinks i have to face once a week.” glimmer ran into a pole over and over again in her head. 

“oh. that’s cool,” is what she managed before burying her face in popcorn. they watched the episode in silence for a few more minutes. it was past midnight anyways so they were starting to get tired it for sure wasn’t that glimmer had just ruined a friendship with a really cool person that she wanted to hang out with forever. 

there was a ping from a phone and they both looked down at their notifs. glimmer tossed hers into the crack between her and adora’s tangled legs. “so.” adora said. “bow says that if catra has two fake girlfriends i need a least one to show her up.”

glimmer blinked, “did he say it like that?”

“oh no he was way nicer, i just translated it to glimmerish,” adora assured her with a shit eating grin. glimmer reached over and stole her phone and shoved it behind her back and stuck out her tongue, thank fuck the awkward air was gone. 

“soooooooooo…”

“yeah?”

“what do you think of the fake girlfriend idea?” glimmer accidentally turned off the tv as she tried to select next episode. 

“fuck. uh,” glimmer trilled her lips as her thoughts scrambled to get in order. “me.” wait, no, not her. no-

adora lit up, “you!!” then she was on her feet and pulling glimmer onto her feet and they were holding hands and jumping, “you're the perfect fake girlfriend!!”

“thank you!” glimmer grinned back at her, she was so stupid this was going to fail and bow was going to make fun of her. “way better than catra’s fake girlfriends?”

“definitely,” adora told her, softer. her smile was still so big glimmer almost worried it would crack but her eyes seemed to be more warm and less intense. she almost lifted her hand to hold her cheek and look closer to see what had changed but. adora only needed her to be a fake girlfriend. not a real one.


	2. Chapter 2

the details are figured out in glimmer’s bed at three am with the funniest get together ideas texted to bow who fell asleep two hours ago after letting them both know they were ridiculous and he was going to plan their instagram couple announcement post. 

“c’mon we totally got together right after we met,” glimmer insisted. she tried to say it seriously but she was tired high and she cut herself off with giggles. 

“noo,” adora shook her head. her eyes were twinkling, though. “that’s mean. i was teenager in love with catra right before we met i can’t tell everyone i moved on that fast.” 

“we got together right away,” glimmer booped adora’s nose with her finger to prove her point. adora grabbed at her finger and stuck it in her mouth, glimmer rolled away so fast she rolled off her bed. she stuck her tongue out at adora when she leant over, giggling. 

glimmer still took the hand adora offered. “we started dating tonight,” adora informed her and glimmer relented because her finger was still sticky with adora’s drule. 

“fine,” she said. “but you confessed first.”

adora agreed, easy. said something about glimmer being cute that glimmer’s brain mushes up and turns into “SHE LIKES ME???” because glimmer has a stupid lesbian brain that doesn’t work very well. 

they don’t decide much else, just that their official girlfriends and have kissed but nothing else and only bow gets to know its fake. they spooned because it’s cold and glimmer tucked her head into adora’s back and smiled to herself. 

,

adora’s phone alarm woke glimmer up. her mouth was dry and when she managed to blink open her eyes she was met with the freckled neck of one of her best friends and her huge crush and-oh shit. her fake girlfriend. she managed to peel herself off of adora and reach over to turn off the stupid alarm that won’t shut up. 

somehow, adora was still asleep which was so unfair because it’s her phone alarm. glimmer would’ve let her sleep otherwise (maybe, probably not) but the injustice of being awoken by her alarm at-glimmer checked her phone and almost hit something- six am. 

glimmer pushed her out of bed and through a toothbrush at her. adora mumbled something before rolling onto her back, she blinked her eyes open to glare at her. glimmer flashed her two peace signs before digging in her closet for something to wear. she hand just found her blue bomber jacket with flowers when her feet are lifted off the air, she shrieked as adora carried her out of her closet and spun her around. 

glimmer kicked at her, “adoraaa, put me dooown!” adora responded by blowing a raspberry into her neck and pretending to fall over with glimmer in her arms. they continued to make a mess and loud noises as they stumbled down the stairs, adora still refusing to put her down.

adora dropped her onto one of the bar stools when they made it to the kitchen and she sat next to her, looking way to pleased with herself, “good morning fake girlfriend.”

glimmer’s heart twanged when she remembered that they aren’t actually dating, “good morning fake girlfriend.” she said back, she’s still smiling. fake girlfriend better than no girlfriend after all. “so,” glimmer got up and moved over to the cupboards to grab some cereal. “what obnoxious pet names do we use for each other?”

“i call you daisy, baby, sugar, love and when i want to annoy you i whisper stuff like sparkle into your ear,” adora rattled off without hesitation. glimmer’s stupid lesbian heart skipped a beat. of course adora had the perfect pet names for her. 

“okay,” glimmer said as she put a bowl and adora’s favourite cheerios flavour cereal in front of her. “can i call you sunflower, sweets, sunshine, and. actually that’s good.” it is good glimmer repeated in her head as she dug out spoons, there was no way she was asking if she could call adora she ra.

adora beamed at her when glimmer handed her a spoon and the milk jug, “those are so cute? glimmer your such a good fake girlfriend, i love youuu.”

there was definitely not a blush on glimmers face as she poured her milk into her cereal and shoveled it into her mouth before she could say something stupid or extremely embarrassing. she would very much like her dear friend and filter bow here now.


	3. Chapter 3

adora left glimmer’s place after lunch, as soon as adora wass too far out of eyesight for them to wave at each other she called bow. 

“you’re really stupid,” was the first thing he said to her.

glimmer collapsed onto the couch and burst into tears, “she’s going to call me daisy, bow. daisy.” 

“i’ll be there in five minutes, max.” glimmer thanked him and he told her that even though she makes stupid decisions she’s still valid and he’s at her door in two minutes. (he lives across the street).

bow walked into the house and grabbed her shoulders, he steered her down onto on of the big comfy chairs and knelt in front of her. “glimmer?”

she nodded. she knew what was coming. 

“how did you manage to end up being her fake girlfriend after mermista and perfuma cancelled, sea hawk couldn’t make it, entrapta claimed she hand plans and i refused to sneak into your house?” bow gave her the disappointed eyes. he’s not that disappointed, he’s used to this and glimmer has done way, way worse.

glimmer kicked at his knee so he’ll sit down and stop looking like he’s proposing, “you’re the one that suggested adora get a fake girlfriend. what was i supposed to do?”

bow blinked at her, “i just said i’d make your instagram an-wait yeah nope i did!” glimmer raised an eyebrow at his hasty backtrack but she was running on three hours of sleep so she let him get away with it and asks him about the chemistry homework neither of them did.

.

monday morning adora came to pick her up for school, bow is posting their first couple picture at lunch and he promised it was going to be obnoxious and at least help adora make catra jealous. glimmer wasn’t sure if adora still liked catra but. well, she’d rather not ask and hear the answer she’s dreading. (girls that are over their exes aren’t the kind of girls that need to ask their new best friend to be their fake girlfriend.)

adora asked her about the chemistry homework while they walk, they’re holding hands but that’s not new. glimmer told her what she and bow figured out yesterday, “alright. so i really, really, really hate converting from atoms to mass, just wanted to let you know. also question three had us converting from formula units to moles to mass? what the fuck? adora, chemistry is homophobic.”

glimmer took another step before her arm wass tugged on, adora had stopped in her tracks and was staring at her. “glimmer,” she said. 

“yeah?”

adora smiled at her, “you’re wonderful, by the way.” yes, her face was definitely covered by a red flush as soon as her brain processed adora’s words. she turned away from her fake girlfriend and pulled her along to school.

“shut up,” she said, a whole minute after the compliment. adora laughed at her and swung their hands back and forth, they’re almost at school now so they are going to have to split up for their respective classes soon. glimmer let adora lead them through the front doors and buried her head in her neck and enjoyed her fake relationship with her crush for a few more minutes. 

adora stopped them by the benches in the lobby, both girls let their backpacks slide onto the ground and adora sat down on the bench as glimmer rummaged for the blue lipgloss her mom doesn’t let her leave the house in. adora pulled her onto her lap and glimmer relaxed into her arms as she used her phone mirror to swipe her gloss on. 

“what’s the scent on that thing?” adora asked her. her nose did this cute scrunchy thingy that was really fucking cute. 

glimmer grinned as she popped it back in her bag, “pickle.” she got a set of rapid blinks in response. adora pushed her off her lap and leaned right up into her face, she’s staring at glimmer’s lips and glimmer was well aware that she signed up to be adora’s fake girlfriend but she was not ready for this. she put her hands on adora’s shoulders and pushed her back. “it’s pickle,” glimmer repeated. “and uh, sweets, unless you want to taste it for yourself, you’re just going to have to take my word for it.”

the screwed up expresion on adora’s face showed she was considering it, thankfully glimmer is saved by her impulsive fake girlfriend by memistas and perfuma. the other two girls flop onto the bench between the two of them, their arms are wrapped around each other and they’re both obnoxious. mermista reached over and pinched her cheeks, “aw sparkle, look at you. all grown up and girlfriended out.”

perfuma seemed to be giving adora the same treatment on mermista’s other side so glimmer just rolled her eyes, “fake girlfriended out. we texted the groupchat last night.”

mermista scoffed at her as she leaned back into perfuma’s side, “sure jan, you and adora are just fake girlfriends and weren’t about to make out before me and ‘fuma showed up.” glimmer made a swiping motion towards her as she tucked her legs underneath her. there was no point arguing with mermista, especially not when she might bring up her crush on adora right in front of adora. 

“shut up mermista,” glimmer told her, cheerfully. “have you and sea hawk talked about perfuma yet?”

mermista smirked, “yeah.” glimmer waited for her to continue. she didn’t. they sat there staring at each other in silence for a few more minutes before perfuma turned around to smile at them.

“class starts soon, wanna walk me to class?” she asked mermista. mermista did that weird not smiley smiley thing she gets with perfuma and sea hawk and stood up, she grabbed perfuma’s bag for her and they waved goodbye as they made their way to class. glimmer sighed and stared at her bag.

“do i have to go to class?”

adora laughed, “c’mon, sugar.” she got up and pulled glimmer up with her. they picked up their bags and walked to the stairs. when they reached the door adora held it open for her and they paused at the steps. “uh,” adora said, biting her lip. “should-can i kiss you?”

glimmer nodded quickly, “yeah. sure. definitely.”

“cool,” adora smiled. she leaned in and brushed her lips against glimmer’s and. fuck. glimmer blinked and pulled back, she was sure there was a stupid smile on her face. “so, it really was pickle,” adora said, licking her lips. of course, glimmer’s reasonable brain said. the back of her brain, the stupid lesbian part was screaming something about excuses and kisses and pretty girls so glimmer waved at adora and headed up the stairs as adora walked down.

fuck.   
.

adora’s saved her a spot at one of the picnic tables and glimmer slided into the seat, brushing a kiss to adora’s cheek as she dropped her shit down. sea hawk whooped, mermista elbowed him and he shut up. 

bow ran in a few seconds after glimmer, his phone in hand, “guys, guys, guys!!” their table turned to look at him. he shook his phone at them for a few more seconds before he leaped back into motion.

“okay,” bow muttered as he grabbed adora’s right arm. “this goes around glimmer’s waist,” he told them. adora did as he asked, then he moved glimmer’s head to rest on adora’s shoulder. he nodded to himself. “good.” 

two seconds later he switched their positions, adora whispered into her ear, “if we didn’t have bow we’d probably be dead.” glimmer giggled back and squeezes adora. bow and sea hawk have started wrestling for the phone but by the end of lunch bow is happy so glimmer’s happy.


	4. Chapter 4

glimmer and bow walk home together, apparently monday is when adora had fencing and bow teased glimmer about it as they walked home. “glimmer, seriously though, she could probably slay a dragon for you.” glimmer bumped his side.

“boww,” she complained. “we’re supposed to slay the dragon together.” he laughed at her and put his hands up. she loved her best friend, even if he couldn’t remember the important details of her medieval dream girlfriend fantasies.

bow slung his arm around her and glimmer shared her earbuds with him, her mom used to think they were dating before glimmer came out, sometimes she thinks she can see it. then bow pulled out his phone and showed her the pictures of her and adora he took at lunch, “okay, so i’m really feeling the ones where she’s resting her head on you. i also want to include the ones from chem when mermista and perfuma were trying to steal your volumetric flask because they fucked up theirs, but i want it to be a quick snapshot. Yaknow?”

glimmer blinked at him, she did not, in fact ‘know’. “sure,” she said. “i like the one where i’m smiling at adora.”

bow snorted, “that’s all of them. here i’m texting you this one, we can post it when we pass by your house's wifi.” the picture he’d decided on was the one where glimmer was kissing adora’s cheek and-glimmer narrowed her eyes. was...was adora blushing? why was she blushing, did she fuck-

“you’re thinking really loudly,” bow informed her. glimmer headbutted his shoulder and he pocketed his phone. they stopped in front of glimmer’s house and sat on the steps. bow handed her back her earbud and she shoved them into her skirt pocket, bow had already decided on what emojis he wanted to use (👩❤️👩✨☀️) so all glimmer hand to do was tag adora in it and hit post. 

“nice,” bow pulled out his phone and immediately spammed the post with, like, nine comments consisting of emojis and key smashing, glimmer let him be and burrowed into his jacket. bow squirmed back, “glimmer, c’mon, the glitter in your hair is gonna end up all over my stomach.”

“then maybe you shouldn’t wear crop tops,” glimmer suggested.

bow pushed her off and got up and started walking away, “wow glimmer, that’s how it’s gonna be. goodbye!” glimmer waved at him as he walked across the street, he didn’t look back, but he did flip her off.

glimmer checked her phone again after bow’s front door swung shut. her friends hand all commented stupid shit, like bow, but adora hand just left a string of hearts and-oh. “love you!!” loaded a second later. glimmer jammed her legs underneath her and peered a little closer to her phone. hh. maybe-

‘love you too, sunflower <3’ she hit send before she could chicken out. was that too much? would adora be able to see glimmer’s huge crush, or would she just assume it was because glimmer was pretending to be her fake girlfriend?

“glimmer?” she turned her head to see her mom waiting in the door. “why are you sitting on the steps? get inside.”

.

adora texted her an hour later asking her if she wanted to get ice cream, glimmer texted back a yes before slipping on her platform sneakers and leaving the house. ice cream is their best friend one on one hang out thing, they always get it at the place with gelato and froyo. adora was already at their table waiting when she got there.

she leaned over and hugged adora before sitting down, “hey.”

“hey,” adora said, she was smiling but it seemed a little nervous. 

“so,” glimmer waggled her eyebrows at her friend. “wanna share an ice cream sundae?” adora grinned at her and glimmer went over to order it, she figured adora needed another moment or two to get her thoughts in order.

the girl working behind the counter was in glimmer’s french class and congratulated her and adora on getting their shit together, glimmer thanked her and grabbed two spoons. had she really been that obvious? the voice in her head said yes, sounding a bit like bow. 

she handed adora her spoon as she sat down. “dear not fake girlfriend,” she started, adora gave her a fond look that almost stopped her thoughts. “how’s the ex taking things?”

 

adora froze. “um.” glimmer raised an eyebrow, hand things gotten worse? she was pretty sure getting a fake girlfriend to make your ex girlfriend who’s already gotten two new girlfriends is as bad as it gets. “well,” adora said. “i may.”

glimmer nodded at her, “yeah…”

“i may. not care how the ex is taking things?” adora tried. glimmer took the cherry off the top of the sundae and tilted her head at adora.

“what?”

“okay,” adora began again. “remember when i told you bow suggested i get a fake girlfriend?”

she nodded, “yes, it was two days ago.” she popped the cherry in her mouth, she put the stem on the table so adora could tie it with her tongue later. 

adora took a deep breath, “bow didn’t suggest that. he actually asked me why i was complaining about catra when i have a thing for you.”

glimmer’s spoon of ice cream stopped halfway to her mouth, “h?”

“uh, i like you?” adora huffed a little giggle. “i asked you to be my fake girlfriend because i wanted to ask you to be my real girlfriend but i didn’t know how. and then i kissed you this morning and my brain short circuited and i realized i had to get my shit together soon.”  
glimmer managed to get the spoon in her mouth and ate another two before her brain caught up, “OH”

adora lit up, “yeah?!”

“i like you too!!” she managed to get out. glimmer nodded at herself, “a lot a lot!”

adora nodded with her and the two just nodded at each other for a few seconds. then adora blinked, “oh! so! do you want to date for real?”

glimmer’s brain told her to nod, then it seemed to register she was already nodding. “yes!”

the two girls just smiled at each other as they ate their ice cream for a little while. after they threw out the little cardboard carton thing glimmer slipped her arm into the crook of adora’s elbow and they wandered out of the store and onto the street. 

“you know,” glimmer said smiling. she didn’t think she was ever going to stop smiling. “i’m really happy that you asked me to be your fake girlfriend. even if it was sort of stupid.”

“i’m your dumbass?” adora asked her, softly.

“duh,” glimmer told her.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr at  
> my main: transashido  
> my she ra blog: femmeglimmer  
> my writeblr: alienwritings  
> thanks for reading!


End file.
